


Llywelyn & Glyndwr

by planet_plantagenet



Category: Henry IV Part 1 - Shakespeare, Henry V - Shakespeare
Genre: Crossover, Diplomacy, England (Country), Gen, Historical Accuracy, Middle Ages, Neurodiversity, Welsh Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 07:04:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9167551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planet_plantagenet/pseuds/planet_plantagenet
Summary: Fluellen is sent by the newly crowned King Henry V to meet with the rebel leader Owen Glendower.I tried to make this as historically accurate as possible, but let me know if I should add anything!





	

I strode confidently through the halls of the mansion—or, at least, with as much confidence as I could muster in this unfamiliar house with two guards at my back and no clue where I was. My hands itched to flap around or clutch the hem of my cloak in anxiety, but I repressed the urge. This was a professional environment, and the newly appointed King Henry V was counting on me to do my best.

At last, I came to the room to which I’d been directed: a kind of a large meeting space, with a rectangular table spanning the length of the room. I took a deep breath, quieted my hands, and stepped forward.

At the end of the table sat the man with whom I was to meet—Owain Glyndwr, or, as the English called him, Owen Glendower. He sat with his arms folded on the table, leaning forward slightly and eyeing me with an expression I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Other than the guards I’d arrived with, there was no one else in the room.

“So you are the… ambassador from King Henry?” Glendower said finally, lifting his elbows from the table and folding his hands under his chin. He spoke English, but I could hear the hint of an accent not unlike my own. Overcome by sudden nerves, I nodded quickly, my usual outgoing attitude stifled by the unfamiliarity of the situation. Why couldn’t social norms be as simple as military tactics?

“I see,” Glendower continued, his voice remaining tantalizingly neutral. “What is your name?”

“Llywelyn Cadwaladr,” I replied, then quickly added, “Or, um, Captain Fluellen.”

He arched an eyebrow, sitting up straighter. “You’re a Welshman, of course—aren’t you, Captain Fluellen?”

I nodded again, slightly more enthusiastically this time. “Yes, sir… the King sent me because, well….” I fumbled for the words, but Glendower hastily supplied them.

“Because we’d trust you more than an Englishman. And he thought you may be able to, shall we say, get through to me.”

“Yes… yes, that’s, that’s right.”

Glendower studied me for a second, then abruptly switched his language, addressing me in Welsh this time. “Would you perhaps find this easier?”

I grinned in spite of myself—it had been too long since I’d spoken my native language. “Yes, thank you.”

“Now, to the matter at hand.” Glendower gestured me to the seat across from him, and I tentatively sat, folding my hands in my lap and squeezing them to keep them still. “Tell me, what is your message from the English King?”

“He’d like to meet with you in person,” I said simply.

“Well, that’s easier said than done. I’ve spent so much time and energy concealing myself from the world.”

My mind went to the extraordinary effort it had taken to get here in the first place. I’d been conveyed to the mansion by strangers, who’d taken the utmost care to hide my surroundings from me during the journey. I hadn’t the faintest idea where the house was, save that it was in Wales.

“Perhaps you should come out of hiding,” I replied, not sure of what else to say.

Glendower chuckled. “Captain Fluellen, I’m a Welsh rebel leader. There are enormous rewards for my capture and prices on my head. Unless you give me a very good reason to meet with the King, I will have to decline his offer.”

“Well, at least he’s up for talking, rather than fighting.”

“That is a good point.” Glendower suddenly shifted his position, pointing a curious finger at me. “Tell me, why is that? Why has King Henry V sent an ambassador instead of an army?”

“I don’t think fighting has really gotten us anywhere, has it?”

The words were slightly ironic, given the King’s current plans for an attack on France. But of course, I reminded myself, he was going to try diplomacy first. If the French didn’t surrender, they’d—we’d—prepare for war.

“Fighting has gotten us many places, Captain,” responded Glendower vaguely. “But anyway. What does the King wish to discuss with me?”

I shrugged a bit too casually. “England and Wales have been at odds for much too long. He’s thinking of adopting a more… conciliatory attitude.”

His eyebrows went up. “Is he really! Well, this Henry V is a bit different from his father.”

“He’d like to negotiate the peace with you.”

“Aha.” Glendower leaned back in his chair, eyes searching my face. “Why are you doing this, Fluellen?”

“Why am I—what do you mean, sir?”

“You’re Welsh. Why are you working for the English?”

I swallowed nervously. Diplomatic meetings were not exactly supposed to get personal. “Well… I… I have skills that King Henry admires and values, I suppose.”

“Such as…?”

“I… have a large knowledge of history, look you, and of military tactics….”

“You mentioned you’re a captain. In the King’s army?”

“Yes, sir—”

“He must trust you a lot.”

I took a deep breath, smiling almost unconsciously. The King’s trust was something I’d always be very grateful for. Perhaps I could even call him my friend: I wasn’t afraid to be my enthusiastic, talkative self around him, and he didn’t seem to mind at all.

After a second, I answered Glendower. “He does. And… and couldn’t that be an example of the peace I’m talking about? If a Welshman can be a captain in an English army, why can’t a Welsh rebel and an English king meet to discuss the affairs of their nations?”

Glendower grinned, his first true smile throughout the entire conversation. “Very good, Fluellen.”

My heart leaped. “So—so you’ll meet with the King?”

“I’m not making any promises. But I will give it some more thought.”

I stood, nodded my head in gratitude, not even trying to still my happy, dancing hands. “Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Historically, Glyndwr was last seen in 1412, while Henry V was crowned in 1413. Therefore it's extremely unlikely that any English ambassadors were sent to meet with him—and, of course, he never met with Henry V to discuss peace negotiations.
> 
> Nevertheless, I think that Fluellen's presence as a Welsh captain in Henry V's army is quite interesting to think about, given everything that happened with Glendower in Henry IV.
> 
> Sources:  
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/themes/figures/owain_glyndwr.shtml  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owain_Glynd%C5%B5r


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